Work-holder for sewing-machines.



APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1908.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY vt-ive position.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBEET H. DE VOE, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

WORK-HOLDER FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

Application filed J une 12, 1908. Serial No. 438,028.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. DE Von, a citizen of the United Statesfresiding at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Work-Holders for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and effective work-holding device for holding a section of the work to be darned or embroidered stretched for a stitching operation while holdin the surrounding portions of the work secure y out of the path of the reciprocating needle forming a member of the stitch-forming mechanism.

In its preferred form, the work-holder comprises a rigid ring or hoop constituting a stretching frame to which the margin of the work surrounding its stretched portion td'be presented to the stitching mechanism is clamped by means of an elastic band and the part of the work outside of the stretched portion is confined around the exterior of the stretching frame to prevent interference with the free lateral movement of the frame to properly place the darning or embroidering stitches and permit unobstructed inspectionof the stretched portion of the work bythe operator.

The invention further includes certain details of construction of the device to be hereinafter described and pointed out in the apof its work-embracing fingers in operative position and others in retracted or inopera- Fi 3 is a sectional elevation upon an enlarge scale of one side of the work-holder, showing the work-embracing finger in full and dotted lines to represent respectively its retracted and operative relations -with the stretching frame. 7

Ihe stretching frame is shown herein comprising an endless band\ or hoop of. sheet metal 1 having an external groove orlchannel 2 formed by the lower continuous lip 3 and the series of upper spaced lips 4 interupper ends the spring bearing sockets 6 cmbracing the shanks 7 of-the substantially semi-elliptical work-embracing fingers 8 having their free extremities turned outwardly.

Intermediate the relatively spaced lips 3 and 4 and lying within the channel 2 of the stretching frame is arranged a detachable endless elastic -band, shown herein in the form of a helical spring 9 having the ends united by a suitable connection 10 of any well-known or suitable form. The diameter of the spring 9 is preferably slightly greater than the spacing of the confining lips 3 and 4 of the stretching frame, as represented more particularly in Fig. 3, in order that, when a ply of material is stretched over the edges of such lips and the confining spring 9 slipped over the same, the latter will clamp the material along the lines of contactonly afforded by the adjacent edges of'the lips 3 and 4 and form indentations therein in addition 'to the frictional action against slipping under the strain of the stretched portion ofthe work during a stitching operation.

.constructedof oval shape for convenient insertion in the narrower portions of stockings to be subjected to the darning operation,,and the spring bearing sockets 6 for the shanks 7 of thework confining fingers 8 are disposed in substantially tangential relation with the body of such frame in order that thefingers may swin transversely to the latter, and thus outwar ly to engage and confine the article to be stitched and inwardly into retracted inoperative position to reduce as far as possible the bulk of the device for introduction into the article to be mended. As will be seen by reference'to Figs. 2 and 3, the fingers 8 are constructed of such form and dimensions that their free extremities, when thrown into operative position, will abut against the outer side of the spring 9, so as to not only .form with the same and the lugs '5 a closed loop-for posimediate which rise the lugs 5 having at their l'ti-vely retaining the unst'retched portion of the work, but to lock the spring 9 firmly in place and thus prevent its movement under any strains imposed upon the stretched portion of the work in the stitching operation.

As represented in Fig. 1, the work-holder is shown applied to a stockin having the stretched portion a surrounded liy the frame 1 and the unstretched portion 6 confined by the several work-embracing fin ers 8 and the spring 9 to the exterior of t e stretching frame so as to prevent escape of any of the unstretched portion and its introduction be neath the stretched portion in the shifting of the frame beneath the needle 11 of the stitch-forming mechanism, which is carried by the needle-bar 12 mounted in the head 13 of the sewing machine bracket-arm, vthe presser-foot being removed from the presserbar 14 to ermit the free movement of the work-holding frame in relation to the stitching mechanism.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is 1. A work-holder comprising a stretching ring, an elastic band cooperating therewith in clamping the margin of that ortion of the work stretched across said ring, and a series of spaced work-embracing fingers fulcrumed upon and substantially tangentially with the adjacent portions of said ring and adapted to swing in planes transverse to that-of said ring.

2. A work-holder'comprising a stretching ring, means for maintaining a section of the work stretched across the same, and a series of spaced work-embracing fingers adapted to be shifted transversely in relation to the plane of said ring and serving in conjunction therewith to confine the unstretched portion of the work.

3. A work-holder comprising a stretching ring, an elastic band cooperating therewith in clamping the margin of that portion of the work stretched across said ring, and a series of fin ers reflexl bent to embrace the unstretche portion 0 the work exterior to said ring and having their free ends movable toward and from the latter and adapted when in operative position to confine the spring in engagement with the work.

of said wor -engaging edge, an elastic band name to this specification, in the v two subscribmg witnesses.

4. A work-holder comprising a stretching ring having a work-engaging edge and a series of spaced fulcrum lugs with tan entially arran ed bearings offset from thep ane cooperatin with said stretching rin "in clamping t e margin of that portion 0 the work stretched across said ring, and a series of work-embracing fingers having angularly arranged shanks each fitted to one of said bearin s and adapted to swing transversely of said ring.

5. A work-holder comprisin a stretchingring provided with an externa work-receiving roove or channel, and an endless elastic ban of circular cross section exceeding in diameter the width of said groove or channel in the stretching ring, and cooperating with the latter in clamping the margin of that;

portion of the work stretched across said rm 6% A work-holder comprising a stretching ring provided with spaced externally rojecting lipsy'or flanges and a series of. ugs having tangentially arranged spring sockets, an elastic band of circular cross-section exceeding in diameter the spacing of said lips or flanges in the stretching ring, and a serles of work-engaging fingers of semi-elliptical form having angularly arranged shanks journaled within said bearings, and adapted to confine the unstretched portions of the work to the exterior of said stretching ring. 7. A work-holder comprising a stretching ring, an elastic band cooperating therewith in clamping the margin of that portion of the work stretched across said ring, and a series of fingers reflexlybent to embrace the unstretched portion of the work exterior to said ring and having their free ends movable endwise toward and from the exterior of the latter. I v

In testimony whereof, I have signed my presence of ALBERT H. DE vo-E.

Witnesses:

D. B. BIRNIE, H. J. MILLER. 

